Color light projecting machine



1940- J. VENETTA 2,211,677

COLOR LIGHT PROJECTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31, 1938 5 Shets-Sheet 1 a 2* I m Il/ II/ /v 1771 y 0 Q 0 {g Oi? M 0 Q0 {Q 0 0 9 f a Q\ Q a O ow '0 O O [wucnior Jb/m 72 226 2 36 Aug. 13, 1940. J. VENETTA COLOR LIGH'I' PROJECTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 31, 1938 In ventor ejbkil 70 M2 5: 9 y

all/I67 VI/4 A iiorneys Aug. 13, 1940. J. VENETTA COLOR LIGHT. PROJECTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 In venfor WaeZ/a mid cw imman- A iiorneys Aug. 13, 1940. VENET 2,211,677

COLOR LIGHT PROJECT 1 E Filed Oct. 31, 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 13, 1940. J. VENETTA COLOR LIGHT PROJECTING MACHIN E Filed 001;. 31, 193B 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A iiorneys- Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to color light projecting machines, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which may be easily made to project light rays over a comparatively large area and to'project or concentrate light rays onto a restricted area much in the form of a spotlight and with the larger area still illuminated thereby if desired.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means for varying the color of the light rays with the colors continuously changing when desired and to have the light rays of a selected color as long as desired.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means whereby the machine may be turned to the right and to the left and also moved in upward and downward directions so that the light rays may be brought onto various selected areas.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a color light projecting machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing one of the light housings and the means of focussing the light therein.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View showing a pair of light housings and their mounting on a main supporting disc.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view illustrating one of the light housings, with the electric lamp therein mounted for manual adjustment.

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating a contact disc.

Figure 7 is a front elevation illustrating a color screen.

Figure 8 is a top plan view illustrating key type v on a wall or any other suitable support by fasteners 6 and journaled in the bracket 5 adjacent the free end thereof is a vertically arranged shaft 1 and has pivoted to its lower bifurcated end 8 a lug 9 forming an integral part of a bracket lfl acting as a support for a vertically arranged disc I I.

The disc H at opposite sides thereof is provided with openings in which are mounted lenses I2 and mounted on the rear face of the supporting disc I I and. in alignment with the lenses I2 are lamp housings I3 and I4 similarly constructed and each having one side thereof in the form of a hinged door l5 held in a closed position by a fastener IS. The purpose of the doors is to give access to the lamp housings for examining electric lamps l1 therein. The doors I5 and the walls of the lamp housings opposite to said doors are provided with ventilating openings I8. The electric lamps I! are mounted in electric lamp sockets I!) mounted on slides 20. The slide 20 of the electric lamp socket of the housing l4 carries a bolt 2| extending through a slot in the bottom wall of said housing M to receive thereon a wing nut 22 for securing the electric lamp I! in various adjusted positions with respect to the lens associated therewith. The wing nut and bolt permit the electric lamp ll of the housing M to be manually focussed.

The slide 20 of the housing l3 has a headed fastener 23 operating in a slot in said housing l3 whereby the slide may be slid freely in an end- Wise direction within the housing so as to vary the electric lamp carried thereby with respect to the lens of said housing l3. The adjustment of the lamp in the housing l3 permits focussing of the light rays through the lens of said housing and to concentrate the light rays on a restricted area when desired. The light rays from the electric lamp of the housing I4 preferably cover a comparatively larger area. A power means is provided for the focussing of the lamp I! in the housing l3 and which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The slide 20 in the housing l3 carries a pin 24 on which is mounted a feed nut 25. Engageable with opposite sides of the feed nut 25 are coil springs 28 and threaded in the feed nut is a feed shaft 21 extending exteriorly of the housing [3 and is geared to an electric motor 28 of the reversible type. Through the use of the electric motor 28 the slide 20 may be caused to move in opposite directions in the housing [3 for the purpose of focussing the lamp l1 therein by power means.

Arranged in opposite ends of the housing It are circuit breakers 29 the purpose of which is to break the electric circuit to the electric motor 28 when the slide 20 reaches the limit of its movement in the housing l3 in either direction. The circuit breakers 29 each consists of a jack including contact members 30, 3| and 32. The contact members 3! and 32 are normally in engagement with each other and the contact member Si is longer than the contact member 32 to be engaged by an extension 33 carried by the slide when the latter reaches the limit of its movement in an endwise direction. An insulating block 34 is carried by the contact 30 and engages the contact 3! to normally space the contact 39 from the contact 32. The tendency of the contact 30 is to engage with the contact 32, however, it is held disengaged therefrom by the block 3 engaging the contact 3i. The circuit breakers 29 each described in detail will be again referred to in the electric circuit.

A device 35 for varying the color of the light rays projected through the lens it by the electric lamps IT is rotatably mounted in front of the supporting disc H and consists of a disc-like frame including a plurality of removable sections 36 for supporting screens 3? of different colors, as clearly shown in Figure '7. During the rotation of the device 3-5 the various screens pass the lenses !2. The device 35 is secured on a shaft 3? journaled in the supporting disc H and suitably connected to an electric motor 38 by a reduction gearing of a conventional construction and located in a casing 39. The electric motor in the casing 39 is supported by a shelf 48 mounted on the bracket ill and the supporting disc ii. The purpose of the motor 38 is to rotate the device to bring the various color screens opposite the lenses E2 of the light housings l3 and I l.

The supporting disc 4 I is constructed of insulating material and mounted thereon is a plurality of contact fingers 4!, there being a contact finger 4i for each of the screens, and said contact fingers bear on a contact disc 43 mounted on the shaft 3?. The contact disc 43 is of an electric conductive material and arranged therein is a non-conductive member 44 to be engaged by the contact fingers during the rotation of the disc for the purpose of breaking an electric circuit which will be hereinafter more fully described. The contact disc 43 is engaged by a brush type contact 55. The contacts ll and 46 are connected in the electric circuit of the motor 38 and as this circuit is manually controlled through aseries of switches which will be hereinafter more fully de-- scribed, the electric motor 38 may be made to operate the device 35 so that any selected screen may be brought opposite a lens l2.

An electric motor 41' of the reversible type is suitably mounted on the shaft 'l' and is connected to a crank shaft 8 through gears 4-9 and the crank of said crank shaft is connected to a link 59 which is in turn pivoted on the supporting disc ll. By operating the motor 3'. in opposite directions the supporting disc it and the lamp housing carried thereby as well as the device 6:5 will be caused to move upwardly and downwardly and the pivot between the lug 9 and the shal t l acting as the axis of movement.

An electric motor 5| of the reversible type is mounted on the bracket 5 and by gearing means 52 is connected to the shaft 1 for the purpose of rotating said shaft in opposite directions which will bring about turning of the supporting disc l l and the parts carried thereby to the right and to the left.

A switch mechanism of the manually operated type is employed for controlling the circuits of the electric motors 3C, 28, ll, and ti and the electric lamps ll and is indicated in entirety by the character 54 and consists of a suitable casing 55 having mounted thereon master switches 56 and and a plurality of key type switches 58, LL, 8i, 5 3, 55, 66, El, and 69. Also mounted in the casing 55 are contact bars l0 and ll suitably insulated from each other and operating between said bars are the key type switches 58 to 63, inclusive, said key type switches being mounted on a suitable support 72 in the casing and normally are in engagement with the contactbar 5Q, as clearly shown in Figure 9, nd may be manually moved into engagement than the contact bar By referring to Figure 18 it will be seen that the key type switches 58 to are always in engagement with the contact bar if; and the latter is shorter in length than the bar ii and the key type switches 6 1 to 69 do not engage with the contact bar it but may be moved manually into engagement with the contact bar ll.

The main electric leads or conductors are indicated by the characters (3 and i l The conduc tor i i" 2 the master switches and and also connected to the contact bar 7!. A conductor it connects the switch tonne of the electric lamps l! and a conductor 2-: connects the switch 5'! to the other electric lamp ll. The electric lamps ll are connected to the conductor W: by a conductor ll. A conductor connects the contact bar with one side 01'' the reversible motors 5|, ll and 28 and also is connected to the circuit breakers 23 shown associated with the reversible motor 2?. in Figure 10. One of he circuit breakers 29 is connected to the key type switch 62 by a conductor 19 and the other circuit breaker Z9 is connected to the key type switch 53 by a conductor 80. The circuit breakers 29 are connected to the opposite side of the motor 28 from the conductor M by conductors 8i.

Conductors 82 and 83 connect the key type switches 65 and E! to the reversible motor ll and conductors 8d and t5 connect the key type switches 58 and 59 to the reversible motor ii.

The brush type contact 46 is connected to the conductor i l through the motor 38 by a conductor 8E. The key type switches fi l, 35, iii, 68, and 85 each have a contact ll connected thereto by conductors ill.

In operation, it is to be understood that the master switches and 5? are closed which illuminate the electric lamps ll. When the master switches are closed the flow of electricity will be through the switches 58 and 57 from the conductor 53 through the conductors and "E5 to the electric lamps and from the latter to the conductor 'M by way of the conductor 7?. When it electricaliy connected to the motors 5!, The conductor 73 is connected to 'i nf: e ant so.

is desired to turn the machine to the right and i l to the left the key type switches 58 and 59 are alternatingly depressed which brings about a reverse operation of the electric motor 5?. When it is desired to move the machine to the right,

for instance, the key type switch 58 is depressed and the flow of the current is then from the conductor 73 through the bar I l, key type switch 58, conductor 86, through the motor 5!, conductor through the key type switch 59, bar ll) and conductor '58 to the conductor T4 through the opposite side of the reversible motor 5|. When it is desired to turn the motor to the left the key 59 is depressed and the flow of the current is then from the conductor 13 through the key type switch 59, conductor 58, through one side of the motor 5!, conductor 84, key type switch 58, through the bar 19 then through the conductor 18 to the conductor 14 through the opposite side of the motor 5i.

When it is desired to move the machine upwardly and downwardly the key type switches 60 and BI are alternatingly depressed and when the key 653 is depressed the flow of the current is then from the conductor 13 through the bar 1|, key type switch 69, conductor 82, through the motor 41 and through the conductor 83 to the key type switch 6|, then to the bar H! to the conductor [8 and from the latter to the conductor 14.

When it is desired to operate the motor 4'! in a reverse direction the key type switch BI is depressed engaging the bar H so that the flow of the current will be from said bar through said key type switch 6|, conductor 83, electric motor 41 and conductor 82 to the key type switch 69 and then through the bar '10 to the conductor 78 and from the latter to the conductor 14.

The reversing of the motor 28 is through the alternate depressing of the keys 52 and 63 and when the slide 20 of the lamp housing reaches the limit of its sliding movement in one direction one of the circuit breakers 29 will stop the motor 28 and when the slide reaches the limit of its movement in an opposite direction the other circuit breaker 29 will break the circuit to the motor 28.

It is preferable that the key type switches 64 to 69, inclusive, be colored in accordance with the screens 31 which they control so that, for instance, if the key type switch 63 is of a blue color the screen which it controls will be of a corresponding color. For instance, if the key type switch 64 is moved in engagement with the bar 1| the blue screen will be brought into a position opposite the lens l2 of the light housing [3 while the screen diametrically opposite thereto will be positioned over the lens l2 of the light housing l4. When the key 64 for instance is depressed in engagement with the bar the flow of the current will be from the conductor 13 through the bar ll, key type switch 64, conductor 81 connected thereto and to one of the contacts 4|, then through the contact disc 43 to the brush contact I 46 and from the latter through the conductor 86 to the motor 38 and from the latter to the conducor M. The depressing of the key type switch 6d sets the motor 38 in operation and when the contact connected to said key type switch 64 comes into engagement with the insulated member 44 on the contact disc 43 the circuit to the electric motor 38 will be broken, bringing the desired screen opposite the lens of the light housing 13. The control of the other colored screens is through the operation of the other key type switches 65 to 69 in accordance with that described in connection with the key type switch 64. Thus it will be seen that any one of the colored screens can be brought in position in front of the lens l2 of the light housing l3 while the colored screen opposite thereto will be positioned in front of the lens I2 of the light housing l4. When it is desired to bring about a continuous rotation of the colored screens in front of the lenses of the light housings l3 and M, the keys 64 to 6,9 are simultaneously depressed.

From the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it

will be seen that a very simple and efficient color projecting machine has been provided which is easy to mount and easy to control, permitting the light rays therefrom to be directed onto selected areas as desired and with the light rays from one of the electric lamps concentrated or restricted to a smaller area when desired through the op eration of the focussing electric motor which controls and operates the focussing position of the electric lamp in the housing l3. Further it may be seen that any selected color screen may be brought in front of the lenses of the housing l3 when desired and the various colored screens may be made to rotate continuously in front of the lenses of the light housings l3 and M to provide a varying or color changing effect on the areas illuminated by the device. It further will be seen that this device can be conveniently and easily controlled from a remote point to its place of location through the operation of the master switches 51 and 5t and the key type switches 58 to 69, inclusive.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 179,359 filed December 11th, 1937 and abandoned November 7, 1938.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection. with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A color light projecting machine comprising a disc having spaced lens openings, a bracket secured to and projecting from one side of the disc, lenses carried by the disc in alignment with the openings and located at opposite sides of the bracket, lamp housings located at opposite sides of the bracket and carried by the disc with the lenses located therein, lamps adjustably mounted in the housings and adjustable toward and from the lenses, a rotatable color screen located in advance to the disc and the openings thereof, a shaft pivoted on the bracket and extending vertically between the lamp housings, a wall bracket rotatably supporting the shaft, means for rotating the shaft in either direction and supported by the wall bracket, and means supported by the shaft and connected to said disc for pivoting the first bracket on the shaft in opposite directions,

2. A color light projecting machine comprising a disc having spaced lens openings, a bracket secured to and projecting from one side of the disc, lenses carried by the disc in alignment with the openings and located at opposite sides of the bracket, lamp housings located at opposite sides of the bracket and carried by the disc with the lenses located therein, lamps adjustably mounted in the housings and adjustable toward and from the lenses, a rotatable color screen located in advance to the disc and the openings thereof, a shaft pivoted on the bracket and extending vertically between the lamp housings, a wall bracket rotatably supporting the shaft, an electric power means supported by said wall bracket and geared to the shaft for rotating the latter in opposite directions, a power shaft including a crank supported by the first-named shaft, a link pivoted to the crank and to the disc, and a power means supported by the first-named shaft and geared to the power shaft.

JOHN VEN'E'I'IA. 

